Being Perfect

( 8 )

All Available Formats + Editions

——

$8.99

NOOK Book

——

$8.99

Being Perfect (eBook) Pub. Date: 1/21/2009 Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
$0.99

$9.98

Hardcover

$0.99

$9.98

Being Perfect Pub. Date: 4/26/2005 Publisher: Random House Publishing Group

Customers Who Bought This Also Bought

ADVERTISING

Overview

A few times in your life, someone will tell you something so right, so deeply true that it changes you forever. That is what Anna Quindlen, author of the timeless bestseller A Short Guide to a Happy Life, does here.

In Being Perfect, she shares wisdom that, perhaps without knowing it, you have longed to hear: about “the perfection trap,” the price you pay when you become ensnared in it, and the key to setting yourself free. Quindlen believes that when your success looks good to the world but doesn’t feel good in your heart, it isn’t success at all.

She asks you to set aside your friends’ advice, what your family and co-workers demand, and what society expects, and look at the choices you make every day. When you ask yourself why you are making them, Quindlen encourages you to give this answer: For me. “Because they are what I want, or wish for. Because they reflect who and what I am. . . . That way lies dancing to the melodies spun out by your own heart.”

At the core of this beautiful book lies the secret of authentic success, the inspiration to embrace your own uniqueness and live the life that is undeniably your own, rich in fulfillment and meaning.

Editorial Reviews

Library Journal

More Reviews (1) Fewer Reviews

From The Critics

Adult/High School-In this brief treatise, Quindlen attempts to deter readers from continually seeking perfection, which is by definition unoriginal and stereotypical. She believes that everyone needs to find her (or his, though the general tone and the illustrations seem to focus on female needs) own true self, especially for those moments when there is nothing else left. She describes herself as having been a true perfectionist throughout high school. After a semester or so at Barnard, she realized that she would never be the prettiest, smartest, or "est" anything, but she could try to find out who she was and not be afraid to try new and unusual routes through life. This realization was more freeing than she expected, and she encourages readers, young and older alike, to do the same. The book reads much like a commencement address, but both size and subject matter should appeal to teens looking out on the landscape of their lives. It is also a good example of an essay or short biographical account for those studying such literary forms.-Susan H. Woodcock, Fairfax County Public Library, VA Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780375505492
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Publication date: 4/26/2005
Edition number: 1
Pages: 64
Sales rank: 231,771
Product dimensions: 5.01 (w) x 7.14 (h) x 0.45 (d)

Meet the Author

Anna Quindlen

Anna Quindlen is the author of five previous bestselling novels (Rise and Shine, Blessings, Object Lessons, One True Thing, Black and Blue), and seven nonfiction books (A Short Guide to a Happy Life, Good Dog. Stay., Being Perfect, Loud & Clear, Living Out Loud, Thinking Out Loud, and How Reading Changed My Life). Her New York Times column "Public and Private" won the Pulitzer Prize in 1992. From 2000-2009, She wrote the "Last Word" column for Newsweek.

Biography

Anna Quindlen could have settled onto a nice, lofty career plateau in the early 1990s, when she had won a Pulitzer Prize for her New York Times column; but she took an unconventional turn, and achieved a richer result.

Quindlen, the third woman to hold a place among the Times' Op-Ed columnists, had already published two successful collections of her work when she decided to leave the paper in 1995. But it was the two novels she had produced that led her to seek a future beyond her column.

Quindlen had a warm, if not entirely uncritical, reception as a novelist. Her first book, Object Lessons, focused on an Irish American family in suburban New York in the 1960s. It was a bestseller and a Times Notable Book of 1991, but was also criticized for not being as engaging as it could have been. One True Thing, Quindlen's exploration of an ambitious daughter's journey home to take care of her terminally ill mother, was stronger still—a heartbreaker that was made into a movie starring Meryl Streep. But Quindlen's fiction clearly benefited from her decision to leave the Times. Three years after that controversial departure, she earned her best reviews yet with Black and Blue, a chronicle of escape from domestic abuse.

Quindlen's novels are thoughtful explorations centering on women who may not start out strong, but who ultimately find some core within themselves as a result of what happens in the story. Her nonfiction meditations—particularly A Short Guide to a Happy Life and her collection of "Life in the 30s" columns, Living Out Loud—often encourage this same transition, urging others to look within themselves and not get caught up in what society would plan for them. It's an approach Quindlen herself has obviously had success with.

Good To Know

To those who expressed surprise at Quindlen's apparent switch from columnist to novelist, the author points out that her first love was always fiction. She told fans in a Barnes & Noble.com chat, "I really only went into the newspaper business to support my fiction habit, but then discovered, first of all, that I loved reporting for its own sake and, second, that journalism would be invaluable experience for writing novels."

Quindlen joined Newsweek as a columnist in 1999. She began her career at the New York Post in 1974, jumping to the New York Times in 1977.

Quindlen's prowess as a columnist and prescriber of advice has made her a popular pick for commencement addresses, a sideline that ultimately inspired her 2000 title A Short Guide to a Happy Life. Quindlen's message tends to be a combination of stopping to smell the flowers and being true to yourself. Quindlen told students at Mount Holyoke in 1999, "Begin to say no to the Greek chorus that thinks it knows the parameters of a happy life when all it knows is the homogenization of human experience. Listen to that small voice from inside you, that tells you to go another way. George Eliot wrote, 'It is never too late to be what you might have been.' It is never too early, either. And it will make all the difference in the world."

Studying fiction at Barnard with the literary critic Elizabeth Hardwick, Quindlen's senior thesis was a collection of stories, one of which she sold to Seventeen magazine.

1. Hometown:
  
  New York, New York
1. Date of Birth:
  
  July 8, 1952
2. Place of Birth:
  
  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1. Education:
  
  B.A., Barnard College, 1974
2. Website:
  
  http://annaquindlen.net/

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4

( 8 )

Rating Distribution

( 5 )
( 0 )
( 1 )
( 0 )
( 2 )

If you've bought this product, tell the world how you liked it.

Write a Review

Anonymous

Posted June 10, 2007

Inspiring

This book was such a relief to me in two ways. The first was, I don't like to much reading from one book, and big words. It was short and simple.And A book a younger person can read and get inspired. the second is, all of the struggles I've experienced, Ms. Anna Quindlen nailed it for me and simplified it without so much of The recommended work to apply, like in most other self help books, which is less overwhelming. Thanks a million Anna.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Anonymous

Posted May 12, 2005

Cute, but....

I was surprised to see how small the physical size of this book was when I received it, and even more surprised to find half of the bulk of it was photos! Barely scratched the surface of the ongoing epidemic of women feeling they have to be perfect. I finished the book wondering why exactly the author put such tiny bits of insight into a publication with such a powerful title, leaving the reader very disappointed and still hungry.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Anonymous

Posted May 26, 2005

Perfectly Yummy

Perhaps had I read this book earlier in my life, I would not have laughed and cried with relief when reading this little gem. But at 58 I'm finally choosing to do what I love and I am blesssed to make a positive difference in the lives of many. The very last idea around falling into your core and finding a black hole after a deep loss had me weeping in recognition and gratitude. When my 35 year old son died two years ago, I gave his eulogy from the strength of my core honed by his presence in my life. Another gift from Quindlen - thank you!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Anonymous

Posted April 27, 2005

Charming

I enjoyed this book so much. The writing was filled with inspirational ideas for women who long to find inner peace away from the rat race. However, I felt that it was a tiny bit unrealistic. For example, how many of us can really ask if what we do for our family is what we want to be doing - I mean, somebody has to do certain things that we do, and let's face it, women are the only ones who have enough love to do those things whether we want to or not. But having said that, I do think that the book makes a very good point about women pleasing people outside the home. Some of the things we do we probably wouldn't do if not for outside influences. In this respect I found some good advice that I can use in real life.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Anonymous

Posted April 30, 2005

A Little Bit of Nothing

I found this book to say absolutely NOTHING. I saw the author interviewed and it sounded like a book about perfection. This book jumps from one confusing thing to other unrelated issues. Some of the words are not commonly used words and one has to use a dictionary to understand what the author is trying to say. I found almost nothing about perfection in this book. I was very disappointed in the content . I do believe I could write a better book about perfection and dealing with it.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Anonymous

Posted May 3, 2005

Anna Quindlen Junkies Rejoice

I have loved Anna's writing since her days as a NY Times columnist, where her skills for honest reporting and psychological insight always made her stand out amid the egos and political agendas around her. This latest book is a great addition to her body of work, as she dives into the moral muck of today's womanhood, where the choices between work and home life are difficult and ultimately unsolvable--something has to be lost in the equation. On that same subject of parenting verus work, let me recommend a not-well-known book, 'I Sleep At Red Lights: A True Story of Life After Triplets,' by Bruce Stockler, a joyous, hilarious and brutally honest account of juggling work, marriage and kids.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Anonymous

Posted April 28, 2005

Powerful Message in a Nice Little Artistic Book

Another delightful small (as in takes 30 minutes at most to read) book from this inspiring author. Makes a great gift and coffee table book that conveys a very important message about life. Beautiful pictures in a nice small hardcover compliment the text. Definitely worth a buy!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Anonymous

Posted June 2, 2011

No text was provided for this review.

If you find inappropriate content, please report it to Barnes & Noble

Being Perfect

Pick Up in Store

Available on NOOK devices and apps

All Available Formats + Editions

Customers Who Bought This Also Bought

More About This Book

Overview

Related Subjects

Editorial Reviews

Library Journal

From The Critics

Product Details

Meet the Author

Anna Quindlen

Biography

Good To Know

Rating Distribution

Inspiring

Cute, but....

Perfectly Yummy

Charming

A Little Bit of Nothing

Anna Quindlen Junkies Rejoice

Powerful Message in a Nice Little Artistic Book